Ginger's Adventures III: Ginger vs The Guardians
by Ginger the Barn Owl
Summary: Ginger is chosen by the Pure One Monarchs as a slipgizzle in their latest operation. Her mission: to infiltrate the Guardians' Tree in the middle of the Sea of Hoolemere and leak information to the Pure Ones about their latest scheme, which, according to their other spy, sounds big. Will Ginger accomplish her delicate task, or will she fall victim to the evil Guardians of Ga'Hoole?
1. Prologue

_Over the course of a few months, Ginger's life as a Pure One was all she'd hoped it would be. She trained nightly, and fought crows on a weekly basis, becoming stronger with her training. Leading the other Trainees into battle wasn't quite as hard as she thought it would be either. Her quickly developing battle strategies were fairly advanced, but her soldiers caught on, and respected her as their commander, and Ginger had even assigned roles in her team to each of the four concerning their victories in the events of the Leader Olympics: Vaygar was the force's navigator, Phillip was the tracker, Kludd was the fighter and Uklah was the brains of the group, all of which were lead by Ginger, the most well rounded and best qualified owl to instruct them, despite being youngest by a few years. they even had their own armor made for them, which was sturdy, yet comfortably lightweight._  
 _Nyra assisted in the young owls' training regularly, but when ever she had the time, she would give lessons to Ginger on how to read and write like most of the other Pure Ones. Although Ginger caught on rather slowly, due to being taught later in her childhood, she eventually found herself zooming through very complex paragraphs, learning how to use Hoolian vocabulary, and even started writing a daily journal using scrolls, ink, and a molted flight feather, which was used as a quill in the Owl Kingdoms. However, Ginger became so good at reading and writing, that she eventually put the journal, which was nothing more than a pile of not-very-organized scrolls, to the side in order to focus on the more important things in her life._  
 _Usually, when she was finished training at First Light, she would spruce up and fill her once empty stone hollow. Having grown attached to reading and wanting to increase her skills more, she asked that a bookshelf be made on the side wall, which was covered with her favorite books as soon as it was finished. On the opposite wall from the shelves, two metal pegs were hammered into the wall, where she hung up her battle mask and battleclaws, which were both a display and a convenient place to keep them, as they were easy and quick to grab in the event of an enemy attack. No, her hollow wasn't empty anymore, and when the candle atop the stone table beside her nest was lit, it gave the hollow a comfortable, homey feeling, which Ginger enjoyed much more than the empty room she'd found when she had first become a Pure One._  
 _Nyra was quick to realize her great potential. Ginger had not only become the best and most skilled flyer on the Trainee Force, but she was also becoming about as good as a few of the adult soldiers. But it was her passion for her duties that intrigued the Queen the most, for with her determination and skill, she was becoming a remarkably good fighter, as well as an agile and fast flyer. And Nyra did soon realize that she may be just what they needed for overcoming the greatest threat to their Union._

What an owl she is. Fast, strong, intelligent, she's got it all! _she thought to herself one night as she ate her midnight meal, a fat ground squirrel._ I wonder if she'd ready to...What am I saying!? She'll get killed out there! And I wouldn't dare send an owl with such potential out there to die in the hands of our vicious enemies!

 _But something kept nagging at her gizzard, telling her that this young owl, who had already surpassed her wildest expectations, was the one for the job._

I must be the right thing. An owl must always trust his gizzard...unless it's dysfunctional, but I'm positive that mine is working just fine. Why, I can fell it grinding the squirrel this very moment, and I can tell nothing is amiss. Trust your gizzard Nyra. It speaks the truth. She's the one. The only thing is, will she accept the mission?...She has to. And I must explain the situation as thoroughly as possible. It is a delicate matter of utmost importance...And she can do it.


	2. Chapter 1: Ginger Recieves Instructions

"Hey, Ginger!" Vaygar called out. "Wanna play Nootie Ball?"

"Not in here!" Ginger almost shouted. "If that shell gets out of control, it'll destroy everything in my hollow!"

"Yeah, you're probably right about that. Wanna play it on the Half Spire?"

"Sounds good. You head on over there and set up the leaf net. I'll ask everyone else if they want to join in."

* * *

...

* * *

"Alright owls," Uklah announced. "Ginger and Kludd on the east side, Vaygar and Phillip on the west side. I'll keep score. Clear?"

"We got it," Phillip responded.

"Alright." Uklah tossed the hollowed out, bone-stuffed nootie shell into the air above the net. "Play ball!"

The owls batted the shell back and forth across the net with solid whacks from their talons. Uklah simply stood to the side the entire game shouting out scores rather than playing with the other owls.

"Dusk Team One, Copper Zero!

"Copper Two, Dusk One!"

"Dusk Team Four, Copper Team Four! Game Point!"

The last round was tense. The shell kept flying to and fro across the net at high speed, the Trainees on both sides trying desperately to win. But Ginger won the final shot when she shot upward and hit the nut ball at just the right angle to send it smashing into the ground on the opposing side.

"Dusk Team Four, Copper Five! Copper Team Wins!"

Ginger and Kludd slapped their wings together, an owl-style high-five.

"You guys up for another match?" Ginger called to Vaygar and Phillip

"You don't mind if I keep score this time, do you guys?" Phillip requested. "I'd be willing to bet that Uklah would like in on the action."

"Actually, owlets, I need your commander for a moment."

The owls turned around to find Nyra perched behind them.

"Your Pureness," Ginger said, approaching her. "What do you need me for?"

"You will find out momentarily. The rest of you, stay here. I'm going to have a private conversation with your leader, affirmative?"

"A-affirmative." Vaygar's voice was shaky.

The Trainee Pure Ones knew Nyra well. Every time Nyra called upon a soldier at such an inconvenient time, it meant they'd done something they shouldn't have. Did Ginger do something wrong that they hadn't heard about? Why was she in trouble? Making Nyra mad was simply asking for a death sentence, and the very thought of being punished by the Queen was gizzard wrenching. The only thing worse was receiving judgememt from the High Tyto himself, the founder and king of the Tytonic Union. They said he was beyond his prime, but it was hard to believe, since he still fought and flew like he was a newly fledged owl out of the hollow. The majority of the Pure Ones seldomly saw him, but when they did, they were immediately fear-stricken, for he wore a protective metal mask on his face that made him appear horrifyingly brutal. According to the history of the Hoolian legends, his face had been partially mutilated in battle, and the upper part of his beak had been completely raked off his face by an infamous enemy warrior, so the mask not only concealed the scars of the battle, but also served as an artificial beak, enabling him to speak, eat, and perform other activities requiring it. No owl knew his true name, (except perhaps Nyra, who was, of course, his mate.) so most of the Pure Ones simply called the old High Tyto "Metal Beak."

"Follow me, young Ginger." Nyra shot upward before turning towards the Main Base. Though skeptical, Ginger followed. Still being rather new to the Tytonic Union, she knew she hadn't done anything wrong, so what did Nyra need to speak with her about? While things didn't exactly look promising, Ginger continued, not daring to exit her commander's wake, or else she really would be in trouble.

* * *

...

* * *

Nyra lead Ginger into a very large hollow that was cut off from the rest of the Main Base. It was exceptionally dark inside, which added to Ginger's fear of being punished for an unknown reason.

"So...What is it that you want now?"

Nyra didn't answer, but instead turned to a small, tunnel-like opening in the back of the hollow.

"She is here," she said. "Come and see the young'un and tell me what you think."

A large shadowy figure entered the main part of the hollow from the small hole in the wall. His feathers were gray and black, like Phillip's, only slightly longer, and much more raggety, as he was obviously a much older owl by the looks of his slightly hunched stature. He wore large, sharp, but dull battleclaws on his seemingly enormous talons, and his face was concealed by an imposing metal mask, only his eyes showing through it, one of them being a dark yellow, and the other being ivory with a white pupil, possibly having been blinded in battle. Though she had never seen this owl before, Ginger immediately recognized him, for she had heard the stories, despite being a newbie, and her gizzard turned to stone.

 _Metal Beak._

"So, this the young Tyto Alba who survived a hurricane and became the leader of the Trainees?" His voice was old and menacingly gruff. "Ginger is it?"

"It is." Nyra told him.

Ginger found herself shaking like a leaf. This was the end. She'd surely done something to upset them, and even though she had no idea what it even was, she knew she would be punished horribly for it. Right here, right now.

"What...what have I done wrong?" she asked the High Tyto, knowing that it may be the last thing she ever said.

Nyra and Metal Beak exchanged glances between themselves and Ginger. In an instant, they both burst out laughing. Ginger was confused at this. When they calmed themselves, which took about a minute, the old Sooty Owl approached Ginger.

"We aren't here to discuss what you've done wrong," he told her. "...We have brought you here to discuss what you've done right."

"Uhm..." Ginger bent downward, still intimidated by the owl, despite his positive change of tone.

"Ginger," Nyra chimed in. "You've been a member of the Tytonic Union for a while now, and I believe it's time."

"Time?" Ginger was still oblivious to what they meant. "Time for what?"

"Your first mission outside of the Beaks."

Ginger's eyes grew wide. A faint smile appeared on her beak as she lokked away, trying to remain humble before the High Tyto.

"My gizzard has been continually telling me that you are indeed the owl for the mission. It is one of the most important operations we have devised in the course of a year."

Ginger's gizzard went cold again. If it was so important, what would happen if she failed? But an owl's gizzard was never wrong unless it was corrupt. And Nyra's gizzard was obviously not corrupt. She must accept the mission, and she must accomplish it.

"What is my mission?"

 _Yes! She accepts!_

"You see, Ginger," Nyra told her young soldier. "Pure Ones don't just keep the crow population at bay, although that is important for owls' survival. We have much more advanced enemies. Ones that plan to wipe us clean off the face of the earth."

"Who are they, your Pureness...es?" She decided to refer to the both of them, though not sure whether or not it was proper grammar.

"They call themselves the Guardians of Ga'Hoole. In the distant past, they were the good guys trying to fight us and keep us from taking over the owl kingdoms, as well as destroying them. We eventually saw our mistakes during the Great Redemption, but they refused to accept this, and their king's gizzard grew black and bent upon destroying us, and they've been attacking us ever since then. Your mission, young Ginger, is to penetrate the tree in the middle of the Sea of Hoolemere and gain information. They haven't been around here in a while, but according to another one of our troops, they're potentially planning something big. Something that could wipe out the entirety of our Union."

It sounded very risky to Ginger, but if Nyra's gizzard said she was the one for the job, she was the one for the job.

"How do I do that?"

"Deception," Metal Beak answered. "You must fool them into thinking you are a newcomer that wants to learn the ways of the Tree, gain info on their scheme, and send it to us here in the Beaks."

"And you, young Ginger," Nyra continued. "have shown how crafty you are when dealing with opponents. Like that time in the Leader Olympics where you followed after Phillip in attempt to gain an advantage in the tracking competition.

"I suppose you're right..."

Ginger seemed a bit more comfortable taking on the mission now, but she immediately had some questions that had to be answered before she went on this dangerous quest.

"I understand my mission, but I do have a few things to ask to avoid being caught."

"Ask away," Metal Beak told her.

"First off, what do I tell them if they ask me where I came from? I don't think they'd be very fond of me if I told them I came from the Beaks."

"You are absolutely right," Metal Beak responded. "Don't tell them you were anywhere near the Beaks, much less the Tytonic Union Base. It will arouse their suspicions if you tell them that you had any involvement with the Pure Ones."

"I understand. Now how exactly do I leak information?"

"Another one of our finest slipgizzles has agreed to fly to the tree and back every day to receive information you have obtained and bring it to us. It won't be hard for him, considering he is much stronger and older than you, and I don't believe you would be comfortable flying to the Beaks and back to the Great Tree in one day. It takes a lot of time and tremendous effort. Plus, the weather about the Sea of Hoolemere isn't exactly calm. Now, do you have any other questions?"

"When do I leave for the mission?"

"Effective immediately."

"Effective immediately? You mean, like, right now?"

"Well, if your gizzard is empty, I suggest you fill it, then inform us when you are prepared to depart. The flight across Hoolemere is long and harrowing. Nyra will aid you on the way, but until you receive instructions from us, you must stay there as the Guardians' fake ally."

"Affirmative."

"That's all for now. Go find yourself a rodent and meet us at the Half Spire."

"Agreed, Nyra."

"Very well, then. You are dismissed," Metal Beak said as he exited the hidden room and headed out into the open portion of the Main Base.

Ginger did the same, only taking a different path and flying away in search of a vole.


	3. Chapter 2: The Flight Across The Sea

Soon after a successful hunt, the young Barn Owl was prepared for the journey ahead of her, and she and Nyra readily alerted the rest of the Trainee owls.

"How long will you be gone?" Kludd questioned with a concerned tone.

"The mission should last her about a week or so if things go according to plan."

"Is she going to be alright up there?" Uklah's voice was muffled due to the bundled up leaf net in her face she was carrying off.

"I certainly hope so," Ginger responded. "But I've been told the basics, so I'm assuming the operation should be a success...unless, of course, one of the Guardians up there is a mind reader or something...then I'm toast..."

"I can assure you, young Tyto, that there are no such owls at the Great Tree," Nyra told her with a nod of her head. "It's best we be going now that the moon has begun to set. Since owls sleep during the day, they won't suspect a thing, and I hear that the guards just started their time off, so the Great Tree is temporarily vulnerable. I assume the rest of you will behave while I take your commander across the Sea of Hoolemere, am I right?"

"Yes, Genreal Ma'am." Vaygar was still weak with relief that Ginger hadn't gotten into trouble with the High Tyto, and had actually been chosen by him to carry out this delicate mission.

"When I return the following night, I shall take her place until she finishes her task. Come now, young Ginger. The flight to Ga'Hoole awaits."

"Good luck to you, Ginger!" Kludd called as she and Nyra flew out of sight towards the North.

* * *

...

* * *

"So, this is it?" Ginger asked as she and Nyra perched on one of the rock spires, looking out upon the salty waters of Hoolemere that lay ahead.

"Yes...Isn't it a sight, young owl?"

"It is..."

The tip of the golden sun had just peered over the horizon, and the pink, orange and violet hues of the slowly lightening sky reflected off of the water's surface, giving it an almost unnatural beauty.

"Are you ready for your mission?"

 _Am I?_ the owlet questioned herself yet again. Despite the Ablah General's comforting reassurance, her gizzard itself seemed to flinch in fear.

 _No,_ she rebuked herself. _You aren't turning this down now. Or ever._

"... ...Yes. Yes, I'm ready."

"Them let us be off."

Aided by Nyra, whom she saw as her shield against the dangers the Sea of Hoolemere would throw at them, Ginger spread her wings, leaned forward and glided off the top of the peak, prepared for the delicate task she was destined to complete.

"Hey, Nyra, Exactly what kinds of obstacles will we run into out here?"

"There can be quite a few concerns out here, but the main thing we need to worry about is the unpredictable weather. It can be rough out here at times, even summer."

"How can we be sure we'll make it to Ga'Hoole safely?"

"...We don't...but even though the conditions over the Sea tend to waver, official reports from our very own Tytonic Weather Interpretation Chaw have concluded that the summers over Hoolemere are relatively mild in comparison to the colder seasons. There are frequent storms over the sea year-round, but as of now, the threats of one are minimal."

"But don't warmer months call for a better chance of hurricanes?"

"Hurricanes!" Nyra burst out laughing once more. "My dear, the storms over Hoolemere are nowhere near the strength of hurricanes!"

"So, they're just, like...Strong thunderstorms?"

"Yes, that's about right. Alright, less jabbering and more flapping. We wouldn't want to spend all our energy on our beaks, would we?"

"...Yes, your Pureness. Alright...Let's do this..."

* * *

...

* * *

The flight across the Sea of Hoolemere seemed like it would be conveniently easy at first, due to the continuation of the fair weather when they were about halfway there, but the weather soon took a turn for the worst; A blizzard kicked in, for they had entered an area called the Mists, where wind and snow always raged almost like they were meant to protect the Guardians' Tree, and both owls struggled to fly against the needle-like winds, both of which also battled a constant fear of becoming either separated or found by the enemy owls. However, the time of year soon came to their aid, just as Nyra said it might, as the summer sun began to eliminate the harsh, wintery weather within only a few minutes, much to the owls' relief.  
The flight was much shorter than Ginger had expected. It was a might tiring, but she thought it would last almost the entire day, rather than only five to six hours. And in that surprisingly short period of time, they finally saw the Island of Ga'Hoole in the distance. When they reached the island, rather than landing on one of the large branches on the immense tree, they planted themselves on one of the roots on the ground.

"Now, Ginger," Nyra whispered to her once they were on the root. "You remember the basics, right?"

"I can tell the owls I came from any of the Owl Kingdoms except for the Beak, and I am not to mention any information that would arouse their suspicions, and I must speak with a Hoolian British accent in order to blend in better."

"Well, I never mentioned that last one. But I'm glad you thought of that when I forgot to mention it, because when you think about it, it's actually a useful tactic. Alright, now, once the tree starts to show signs of awakening, fly into the water and act like you're drowning."

"Ah, okay, that should...Wait...what? But owls can't swim! What if I really do drown?"

"You can stay afloat by keeping your wings stretched, but try to move as much as possible to keep up a good act. An owl is bound to hear you."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. I believe in you, my soldier. Now, remember, our other slipgizzle will visit you every night so you can give him info on what you've found out here. Once you do, he will fly back to the Beaks and transfer the information to us. I am fully positive that you will succeed. Good luck to you, and farewell."

Having said what she had to, Nyra spread her wings and took off, heading in the direction from which they came. Ginger knew that none of the owls up there would be awake anytime soon, so she stayed quiet and watched the puffy white clouds roll across the blue sky above.

 _I sure hope this works. If I fail, it may not only cost me my own life, but the other Pure Ones as well...Nyra says she knows what she's doing...I best not question her...but I do have my own set of worries...It's best to do what she says, and they'll all fade soon enough._


	4. Chapter 3: Amongst the Guardians

Ginger sat almost completely motioness on the giant tree root for nearly four hours. She dared not stir, as she was afraid doing so would disturb the owls inside the humungous tree. She looked up at it. It was the biggest tree she'd ever seen in her entire life, far larger than the old spruce she'd been raised in back in the United States. It also didn't really resemble any species of tree she'd ever seen in particular either. It was definitely deciduous, but it certainly wasn't an oak tree, as it grew not only nuts(which bore no resemblance to acorns whatsoever) but also some sort of white, pear-shaped fruit on the ends of its branches. It was also definitely not a birch tree, as its bark was thick, rough and a rich shade of brown, unlike the thin white bark of the birch. She compared it to other kinds of trees in her head to see if any of them matched up. Elm? Juniper? Rowan? Sycamore? No. She assumed that it must be a one-of-a-kind tree that only grew on this island. Her thoughts were cut off when she heard wing beats above; Owls had begun to awake, and she remembered what Nyra had told her to do the minute she head such stirring. She looked at the salty sea water and sighed.

 _Well...Here goes nothing._

Silently, she hopped off of the tree root, shot up, turned toward the sea, and plunged in with folded wings.

Horror swept through her veins once she realized she was underwater. Desperately, she flapped her wings in attempt to reach the surface, in which she miraculously succeeded, only to realize that her feathers were now to messed up to possible keep her aloft on the surface like Nyra had instructed her to. Forgetting what she had said, she thrashed madly in the water and let out screams muffled by splashing and bubbles.

"Hel...Help! Can't...an't swim!"

A Short-Eared Owl stuck its head out of a hollow above and saw the drowning owl below, immediately alarmed.

"Oh my Glaux! Someone call the Search and Rescue team! We've got an owl in water out here!"

Two immense Great Grey Owls rushed out of the hollow and immediately came to Ginger's aid, lifting her gently out of the Sea of Hoolemere and up and into one of the tree hollows above, each of them carrying one of her soaking wet wings by where they met her body. The hollow they brought her to was very large, and at the far end of it was a birch branch bent into a semicircle, on which perched two Snowy Owls, much like Finny. Now on a dry surface, Ginger gasped for breath, having become exhausted from thrashing about and constant fear of dying. The larger of the two Snowy Owls flew off of his perch and to the young tyto.

"Well, well," He remarked with a calm tone of voice. "What have we here?"

"She was flopping helpless in the water, your Majesty," said the Short-Eared Owl who had alerted the Great Greys to Ginger's dilemma. "Had she been left unattended to, she certainly would have perished."

"Thank you, Matron, for saving the young'un."

Ginger stood up shakily and shook herself dry, accidentally wetting the Snowy, which she then remembered was earlier referred to as "your Majesty." Horrified, she wilfed in front of the huge white owl.

"What brings you here, my dear?" he questioned, as though he was oblivious to the fact that she had covered him in salt water.

"I...I seek the Guardians of Ga'Hoole." She spoke in her best British accent.

"You are among them. I am Boron, king of the Great Ga'Hoole Tree. That up there is my beloved mate, Barran."

The other Snowy Owl gave her a wave with her wing, to which Ginger nodded, still shaking.

"What do you need from us, young owl?" Boron continued.

"I seek wisdom here. I wish to be a Guardian, and to spread your wisdom throughout the entirety of the Owl Kingdoms."

 _These owls seem welcoming enough. Just remember, Ginger, they are the enemy, and must be defeated._

"Your intentions sound good, young owl. We Ga'Hoolians also desire to spread our advanced knowledge to the other kingdoms as well. In fact, it is our secondary goal in life."

"Wow...I'm glad I came here." Ginger was surprised at how well she was able to keep up the act. She was actually afraid that she might be recognized as a Pure One on the spot. But she got past that concern...for now. "It is your secondary goal...What is your primary goal if that is your secondary? I may be able to help with that as well...you think?" She tried to sound as humble as possible to keep up a good cover.

"Currently, young owl, the main goal of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole is to vanquish another force of owls called the Pure Ones. They are our sworn enemy, bent on ruling the Owl Kingdoms with an iron wing.

"Oh, dear." On the outside, Ginger sounded afraid, but she was churring at her adversaries within. They hadn't the foggiest clue as to her origins.

"We are glad to accept you, young owl, but we must ask you a few questions before you are approved for training."

That's when her gizzard grew cold.

"You see, the Pure Ones mainly consist of Tyto Owls, and you appear to be a Barn Owl, so even though it is very true that not all Tytos are Pure Ones, we have taken the precaution of questioning the background of any owl in the Tyto genus that comes our way. Dewlap, Strix Struma, will the two of you please take this young owl to the infirmary hollow to dry her? I will be there to begin questioning momentarily."

"Yes, your Majesty."

Two owls, a Burrowing Owl and another Short-Eared Owl, lead Ginger out of the hollow, flying to a lower one, closer to the base of the trunk, bringing her in. This hollow was warmed by the flames of candles lit all over it.

"My, my, look at you," the Burrowing Owl, Dewlap, marveled. "How long were you in the water?"

"Not too long," Ginger responded with a sigh. "I thought I could make it, the Tree was so close, but my fatigue got the best of me, and I went yeep, not having the energy to make it to shore."

"Dear me," Strix Struma sighed. "Well, this hollow has been warmed, so just sit there I suppose, until you're dry. Did you break anything by chance?"

"I...I don't think so."

"Alright." Dewlap's voice was soft and almost soothing as both adult owls left the hollow. "We'll leave you then." And the owls departed.

Ginger was horrified over the fact that these owls would be questioning her background. What if she said something she wasn't supposed to by accident? What if they somehow found out she was a Pure One and they killed her on the spot? And worse...What if they went after the rest of the Pure Ones next? Despite not being cold anymore, she still shivered, fearing for her life in this wretched, wretched tree.

* * *

...

* * *

It seemed as though Boron entered the infirmary hollow the very instant Ginger realized she was dry.

"Alright, young'un, let's start off with something simple: What is your name and where are you from?"

"My name is Ginger," She still maintained her fake accent. "And I hatched in Ambala."

"Might I ask, where the rest of your family is? It is apparent that you came here alone, am I right?"

"They...they don't know where I am."

"In what part of the Forest Kingdom of Ambala do you and your family live?"

"Close by the river."

"Where all of the flecks are deposited?"

"Flecks?" Truly, Ginger had never heard of such things before.

"Yes, indeed, young owl. Have you never heard of the large amount of magnetic metal flecks that surround and fill the Ambalian River?"

"No...No, I haven't."

"Odd...Was the river close enough for you to see from your hollow entrance?"

"It's visible from a distance, sir, but my father never mentioned anything of the sort."

"What of your mother?"

"I have none, kind sir. She was killed by a mob of crows. I watched her die with my very eyes when I was but a mere chick."

"My, my. I am sorry to hear that."

 _My, Glaux. And to think I'm just making this stuff up as I go along. And he's buying it! Maybe I am the owl for the mission!_

"So, you know nothing of flecks?"

"I do not."

"Well, that just about proves your innocence. Your hollow shall be arranged immediately, and you shall sleep soundly at our ancient Tree. Stay here, young owl, for upon my return, I shall take you to a new place to roost."

Finishing his talk with Ginger, the Snowy Owl climbed outside and flew away. Relieved that she was able to fool even a king into believing she was harmless to their forces, she sat down and relaxed, a twinge of hope sparking a light in her gizzard.


	5. Chapter 4: Valdimore

Only a few minutes passed until Boron returned to the infirmary hollow to retrieve Ginger.

"Can you fly alright?"

"I believe so."

"Then follow me."

She followed the Snowy Owl out of the hollow to one higher up in a large branch. Ginger entered, finding that even though the space was small, it was comfortable, and in the back sat a nest, much like the one in her hollow back in the Beaks, but was made of more flexible twigs, and was lined with a green substance rather than down feathers.

"Just rest yourself for a bit, Ginger," he told her once she entered. "Feel free to join us in the dining hollow for tweener later when morning comes around."

Boron left before Ginger could question him about the training, to which she just let out a content sigh as she climbed into the nest.

 _I know I'm doing well so far with this...I just hope I can keep it up._

Currently relaxed, she fell asleep in the soft nest.

* * *

...

* * *

Ginger spent the remainder of the night among with the Guardians of Ga'Hoole, being cautious not to slip information that may reveal her true purpose for coming to the Great Tree. She mingled with owls, and met a few in particular that she figured might be able to help her; they were known as "The Band," as a whole, its member's being a male Barn Owl named Soren, a female Elf Owl named Gylfie, a hyperactive Burrowing Owl named Digger and an immense and strong Great Grey Owl named Twilight. The bunch was known as The Band because they were famous for not only their seemingly unbeatable feats in battle, but also the incredible story of how they came to be, having all escaped the wrath of the Pure Ones at some point in their life, then all meeting each other and forming their quartet. Ginger pretended to be interested at hearing their story at Tweener that morning, but she wasn't really interested; she wanted to know where all of the Top Secret stuff took place.

"Ah, quite a tale!" she complimented once Soren had finished The Band's story. "...I wonder where Boron's gotten himself to as of late. I haven't seen him in the dining hollow."

"Boron?" Digger piped up, spitting out a beakful of the caterpillars he was chowing down on. "He and the Queen eat their meals in the Parliament hollow. That's where the elders have their private debates and conversations, you know?"

"Wow, really?"

"Yep!"

Digger leaned closer to the Barn Owl.

"Just to keep this between you and me, we sometimes eavesdrop on them in the roots."

"Roots?"

"Yeah, a space down underground in the roots of the Great Tree. You can hear stuff better down there. Down by the north part of the island. Don't tell no one!"

When Tweener finished and the owls returned to their hollows, Ginger sat in her nest churring.

"What a mistake!" she whispered. "Stupid, stupid owl. Is he trying to leak information?"

"You doing alright?" Boron stuck his head inside, to which Ginger jumped, startled by his presence and hoping he didn't hear anything she'd just said to herself.

"Um...Yes, sir."

"Alright then. All of the other owls are turning in. You doing the same?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Goodlight, Ginger."

"Same to you, your Majesty."

Once Boron had slipped out of sight, Ginger settled down and fell asleep.

* * *

...

* * *

" _Pssst._ "

"Huh?"

Ginger awoke to an odd noise. Looking around her hollow, she saw nothing, so she brushed the sound off as her imagination and went back to sleep. But it wasn't long before she heard the hissing noise again, a bit louder than before.

" _Psssssssssssssssssst!_ "

This time Ginger knew the sound was real, and according to what she heard, it was coming from right outside the hollow. Wondering what the noise was, she tip-toed silently to the opening and peered outside, only to find herself face to face with another owl. It looked like a Great Horned Owl, but he was larger, and a bit lighter in color, with short streaks of brown on his chest.

"Hey," He whispered as not to wake the Guardians. "You Ginger?"

"Yes," Ginger responded shakily. "Who wants to know?"

"You needn't fear me, young'un. Name's Valdimore, Pure One spy. Her Pureness says that you're on a mission here, is the correct?"

Ginger knew now that she could trust this owl. "Yes, I am." She immediately discarded her English accent.

"I'm going to be your messenger, travelling across the ocean and back to gain and give info on the Guardians' plans."

"Ah, I see."

"Have you anything to say tonight that may be of value?"

"Sorry, not tonight. However, I did hear earlier in the morning that there is a place underground called the Roots, where you can eavesdrop on secret conversations."

"Ah, that is good. Just be careful when you go there, make sure you don't get caught."

"I got it."

"I gotta go. I'm wanted here by Boron, so I can't stick around. I'll be sure to tell the Monarchs of your progress."

"Thank you. I should have something tomorrow."

"Affirmative."

With a flap of his wings, the Eagle Owl flew off, leaving Ginger to contemplate on how she would gather information before she went to sleep for the night.


	6. Chapter 5: In the Dining Hollow

The last rays of the sun disappeared below the oceanic horizon. The paws of the Little Raccoon came to view, followed by the waning half moon, and the Owls of the Great Tree of Ga'Hoole rose from their slumber, exited their hollows and began to fly about in the darkness of night. Ginger awoke to the sounds of younger owls playing around with each other in the nursery hollow below, a noise that rather depressed her.

 _Just think...those innocent little owls will probably grow up to join these owls when they come of age. It's a shame...Hm...Maybe I can fix that somehow...That's it! Perhaps if someone helped to deliver at least some of the owlets to the Canyonlands, they wouldn't ever have to be one the Guardians!...Better not worry too much about that right now. I do have a separate mission to focus on. Don't forget, Ging'. You need to head to the roots at the nest chance you get!_

The young Barn Owl flew out of her hollow and to the large dining area. When she got there, she saw the old Snowy Owl Boron sitting at a small table made from a cut piece of log. He wore a friendly expression on his white face and was energetically waving his wing towards himself, inviting her to come and dine with him. Ginger almost hesitated to come over.

 _Remember Ginger. No matter how nice these owls seem they are still the enemy. Stay focused._

"Ah, Ginger!" Boron called to her as he sipped something out of a small brown cup. "Sleep well, young'un?"

"Okay, I guess. You?"

"Heh, like a chick. Milkberry tea? It's on me."

He pushed another one of the cups toward where she was standing. Ginger couldn't help but be curious about it.

"What exactly are these cups made out of?"

"Nooties, dear."

"Nooties?"

"Yes, they're large nuts that grow on our tree. We use the sweet flesh inside the shells to make all sorts of dishes here, and we use the shells themselves as cups to put beverages in."

"What goes in the tea?"

"Milkberries, Ginger. When you first came to our tree, did you by any chance happen to notice the white pear-shaped fruits growing on its branches?"

"Actually, I believe I did get a glimpse of something white on the tree, but right afterward I fell right into the sea."

"Here." The king placed one of the berries on the table by her cup. "This one's nice and ripe. Copper Rose Rain is the season to harvest them, so this one is perfect."

"Copper what?"

"Ah, that's what we Ga'Hoolians call Autumn. We have names for all of the seasons; Silver Rain is Spring, Golden Rain is Summer, and White Rain is Winter. Anyway, go ahead and try it. I'd be willing to bet that they're almost as tasty as fresh meat right off the kill."

Ginger picked up the berry in her talons. It was about the size of a Barn Owl's egg, and the white skin was smooth to the touch. She bit off a decent-sized piece of the berry with her sharp beak and used it to break it up and squeeze it in order to determine its taste, a method similar to chewing, as owls, of course, lack teeth. The berry's inner flesh was darker than the skin, being a light gold color, and it tasted like a mixture between a strawberry and a raspberry, with a hint of honey. Finding how delicious it was, Ginger mauled the Milkberry and ate the entire thing within a matter of seconds before downing the tea, which tasted similar, but was warm and hinted with leaves from the Ga'Hoole Tree itself.

"My, my. I suppose you found that rather appetizing?"

Ginger nodded frantically.

"Well, that's excellent. Just don't spoil your Tweener. Cook recently found a hidden population of voles underground on our island, and he's trying out a new barbeque sauce. I can tell from the smell coming from the kitchen that it's going to be good."

"Tweener is served!"

The same Short-Eared Owl who first saw Ginger in the sea, one of the Matrons, gave wooden plates to each of the owls in the dining hollow, all of which carried a grilled vole and a small puddle of Cook's barbeque sauce.

"What did he make this barbeque sauce out of?" Ginger asked to Ga'Hoolian king.

"Nobody except Cook knows, Ginger. It shall remain a secret to all of us to the ends of our lives."

"It must be pretty good then if all of the ingredients are kept secret, eh?"

"Oh, you need to taste Cook's sauces to believe them. Most owls don't get to experience such luxury cuisine, but here at the Great Tree, we have much more developed ways of preparing our meals. Go ahead and dip some of your vole in it and tell me what you think."

Ginger took the tail off of the dead rodent, dipped it in the barbeque sauce and slid it down her throat. Judging by the aftertaste that came back up from her gizzard, Ginger detected that it had been cooked over an oak fueled flame, which she found especially good.

"I've never had cooked meat before, let alone barbeque sauce like this."

"Well, now you have. Finish up. After you're done we're going to head over to the training grounds and see how well you do in your first training sessions. According to your history, you have been approved by me and the parliament."

Ginger decided to pretend to not know about the parliament, just in case he let anything slip while explaining.

"The parliament? What's the parliament?"

"A group consisting of our chaw leaders; In case you are wondering, chaws are our selective courses; Navigation, tracking, combat, Search and Rescue, Blacksmithing, you get the idea. Anyway, the parliament consists of the chaw leaders, me and my mate, Barran. We usually hold meetings there every morning concerning important matters, such as how to bring down the Pure Ones, how to deal with more wide-spread problems, and stuff like that you know. But everything that takes place in the parliament hollow is classified. Only parliament owls may get in on what we know, as it may get owls that are fainter of heart into quite a panic, and we wouldn't want that."

"I suppose not," Ginger said as she swallowed the rest of her sauced vole, still keeping up her convincing fake accent even with a beak full of dead rodent.

 _Good Glaux. I didn't think that would actually work! Now I_ know _I'll have to head to the roots in the morning!_


	7. Chapter 6: A Fellow Spy

"What exactly is this in my nest?" Ginger questioned when she and Boron entered her hollow.

"Let me see...Ah! It looks like you've been tapped for a chaw!"

"Tapped?"

"Yeah, you know, chosen, that's what it means."

Ginger picked up the object out of her nest. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a large gray feather.

"What chaws are there, your Majesty?"

"The chaws are Navigation, Tracking, Search-and-Rescue-also more simply referred to as Combat, Ga'Hoolology, Smithing, Weather Interpretation, Colliering and Printing. And by indication of the Great Grey Owl feather in your nest, it looks like you've been picked for Combat."

"Ah!"

"Well, Allomere is waiting for you. Let's meet him in the training hollow."

The two owls exited Ginger's hollow immediately and glided to a wood platform by the base of the Great Tree, where a middle-aged Great Grey Owl waited for them with a small number of other young owls, one of which was Twilight from the Band.

"Is this our new student?" he asked the king with a deep, gruff, tedious voice.

"Why, yes it is. I must be off. have fun, you fellas!"

Boron flew up back to the upper hollows.

"Alright, let's get this over with. I have important affairs to tend to after this, so don't make it hard for me." Allomere sighed deeply before continuing. "Any quick questions?"

"Is there something bothering you?" Ginger just had to ask.

"I'd rather not answer that. Now, let's get started. Ginger's new here, students, so I'm not teaching any overly complicated maneuvers tonight."

The whole class smiled lightly...except Ginger.

"Now, let's start with a simple exercise; you all know it, you just take off dryly, flip at maximum height, then land softly."

All of the owls performed the stunt, Ginger being a bit slower than the others.

"Good, now a simple swipe."

This time Ginger was a might faster than her fellow students.

"Alright, now into the air."

The small group of owls shot up into the starry night sky and prepared to follow Allomere's instructions.

"Now, I guess...I guess just play fight with each other, try to develop some strategies, I guess...I've got things to do so...whatever."

The Great Grey Owl flew off before anybody could question his odd behavior again. Despite being unable to ask him, as he was now out of sight, all of Allomere's students were dumbfounded by the strange way he'd been acting. He was still calm, but he was not quite as lighthearted as he once was. Was it just that he was aging? But many of the other older owls at the Great Tree were actually very happy souls. The owls who'd been there before Ginger had seen this change in him, and none of them were sure what to make of it. Some of them had developed theories that he had actually been an evil owl in the past, and was afraid of Judgement from Glaux, or that he had a rare illness that was slowly killing him, and that he knew he was going to die, and when, which depressed him. Nobody really knew the reason for the Battle Chaw Leader's abnormal behavior as of late. It was odd...and to Ginger, rather suspicious.  
When the young owls had finished flying about building battle tactics and using them on each other, they settled back onto the wooden floor of the chaw area and conversed among each other.

"So, you're the new student here, huh?" a young Spotted Owl asked Ginger. "It's Ginger, is it?"

"It is."

"Nice. I'm Parzival. What do you think of the Search-and-Rescue Chaw?"

"In all honesty, I like the chaw itself; it lets us get creative with fighting strategies, but if there's one thing that puts me off, it's the way our Chaw Leader acts. There's something about him that just seems weird."

"I know, right? Nobody here really knows why. He wasn't always like that, though. He was once a cheerful, but calm owl who just wanted to teach us, but we started noticing change in him about two months ago...Yeah...It is weird."

Ginger thought for a moment.

"...What do you say I go follow him and see if anything's up?"

"What!? Ginger, you could get into big trouble!"

"Trust me. I've been through way worse ordeals than being scolded."

"But you could get a huge flint mop! Hagsmire, you could even get Chaw Chopped!"

"Chaw Chopped?"

"The ultimate humiliation; being dropped out of your chaw for an indefinite amount of time. It's terrible. You sit in your hollow al day with nothing to do, unless the owls of the parliament decide to give you a crap-load o' flint mops to fill up your time."

"Forgive me for my lack of Ga'Hoolian vocabulary, but what exactly are Flint Mops as well?"

"They're the form of punishment here at Ga'Hoole. It basically means to put the value back in something you took value out of; basically like a form of payback. Whenever you do something bad here at Ga'Hoole, if it's bad enough, they give you a flint mop. Flint mops include chore-like tasks like lighting torches around the tree, burying pellets in the ground to nourish it, you know, stuff like that."

"Well, that doesn't mean we don't have a right to know what in Glaux's name is up with Allomere. And there may even be a chance we could help him."

"Well, you go do that. Me and the other members of the Search-and-Rescue Chaw are gonna keep ourselves out of his business. But if you get in trouble, don't say that I didn't warn you."

"Alright, Parzival. Oh, do you happen to know where Allomere roosts."

"According to what I've heard from the king, his hollow is actually in the branch just below yours. It's the one with his rusty old battleclaws handing from a peg on the outside. You can't possibly miss it."

"Thanks. Well, I'm off!"

Before the Spotted Owl could say another word, Ginger disappeared into the foliage in the branches above. Ginger landed on the branch her hollow was located on, then turned herself upside down on it to examine the branch below her own. Looking to the north, she saw a large hollow on the other branch, a large, rusted set of battleclaws hanging outside on a peg just below the rim.

That must be it. the young Barn Owl said to herself as she inched toward it, still hanging upside down from her own branch. Peering inside, she saw the immense Great Grey Owl, who appeared to be muttering something to himself, and with his back turned towards her. Ginger silently turned her ear towards him to listen in, in case it ended up being important.

"Glaux, darn it, you idiot mooncalf! You have a job to do, you can't sit here at Ga'Hoole 24/7 tutoring owlets on how to battle. Besides, if I keep doing that it will increase the Guardians' numbers! Metal Beak won't ever want to have anything to do with me again! I have to get back to the Pure Ones before this gets out of hand. But how? I can't just leave the tree! It will arouse suspicions! I have to think up a way to lure them there somehow so we can do them in! Think, Allomere, think!"

Ginger's gizzard twinged with joy. She wasn't the only Pure One here! Allomere was on her side! She immediately knew she could trust this owl, and they could even possibly assist each other in their missions for the Tytonic Union! Without hesitating, she climbed into the hollow and tapped the Great Grey on the wing.

" _Ah_!"

Allomere jumped and swiveled around to see his battle student standing behind him. Horrified at the fact that she had potentially heard what he said, he pinned her down with his huge talons, something Ginger was not expecting.

"You!" he snarled angrily. "What may I ask are you doing here!?"

With all of her strength, Ginger shoved Allomere off of her and frantically threw her wings over his beak, shushing him all the while.

"Cool it." She immediately discarded her fake accent. "I'm heard what you said about you and the Pure Ones, and-"

Allomere grabbed her by the neck feathers.

"If you dare let out one word of what I said, I-"

Ginger shushed him again.

"Keep quiet! I'm here for the same reason you are! Pure One Mission!"

The Great Grey Owl let Ginger loose once she told him that.

"You...You're a Pure One?"

"Affirmative."

Allomere's tension eased and he looked Ginger in the eye.

"What is your mission?"

"I'm hear to leak information to the Beaks from the parliament."

"Ah, I may be able to help you with that. I will admit, I once was a Guardian myself...but there was always something about Boron that put me off...something you can't really trust. Plus, the Guardians never gave me any respect, so I secretly consulted Metal Beak while on a mission, then became part of their ranks, unknown to the Great Tree. I'm actually a member of the parliament, so I may be able to help you out with leaking information without you having to do any dangerous work."

"That's great. When does the next parliament meeting take place?"

"Today at daybreak. I'll give you information on anything important, then head back here to give you the information. Me and my troops are going on an owlet-to-nest mission during the day right afterward, and I won't be able to get the info to Valdimore without being late, and being late may provoke suspicions, so-"

"You know Valdimore?"

"Ah, yes, we met at Kiel Bay. Did he come here already?"

"Just last night. He's coming again tomorrow."

"Ah...Well, it's almost time for Night Flight. It's about time we go out there before they start wondering about our whereabouts."

"What should I tell Parzival? I told him I would come to see what was bothering you and he got into some tizzy."

"I guess just tell him you chickened out and didn't do it. I won't spill the beans if you don't."

"Got it."

"Alright, let's be off and act natural, shall we?"

"Sounds fine to me."

Without further ado, the two owls flew out of the hollow and in separate directions; Ginger along the inner part of the island, and Allomere to the Parliament hollow.


	8. Chapter 7: A Brush with Failure

Ginger spent most of the night gleeking about the tree, having nothing else majorly important related to her mission to do, and she didn't even enter any of the hollows in the tree until Breaklight, considering that she was so occupied trying to ride air currents; something she apparently hadn't gotten used to yet. It wasn't until First Light that the nightly meeting in the parliament adjourned and Allomere came to Ginger's hollow to report to her. He was wearing his steel helmet and battleclaws when he entered her hollow.

"What did they say?"

"I can't explain the entire conversation in detail at the moment. All I can say right now is that Boron is planning something big, and it has to do with the large reservoirs of flecks in both St. Aggies and the Forest Kingdom of Ambala. I'm sorry to say this, Ginger, but I believe you are going to have to find a place in the Roots if you don't want to miss anything crucial. For now, just tell Valdimore that they're plan involves flecks!"

Allomere flew out of the hollow and to his waiting Chaw Members before Ginger could ask any questions. Oh, well. At least she was able to get some kind of information tonight rather than nothing at all. With the entire tree beginning to retire, Ginger bedded down into her nest...but she didn't sleep. She rested, but she remained awake so she would be ready for Valdimore's nightly visit.

* * *

...

* * *

Once Ginger heard Allomere's branch begin to shake and the feathers of a large owl flapping, she knew that the Eagle Owl had returned, and she tip-toed to the hollow's edge.

"How's it going here, Ginger?" he whispered.

"Good, good. I met Allomere earlier today, and he and I are working side-by-side now."

"Ah, yes, that's a Pure One you can trust to help you out of a jam. You know, that's exactly how I met the old owl, kiddo. I was early Autumn, and-"

"I'd like to chat, Valdimore, but we do have business to take care of."

"Oh, yes, yes, right, um...Anything up yet?"

"Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make it to the Roots tonight; Allomere said it was a bit too risky yet, but I'm sure I'll find a way tomorrow night. When the Parliament Meeting ended, he stopped by my hollow really quick. He was in a bit of a rush to get to his Chaw before they started wondering where he was at, so he didn't say too much, but what he did tell me was that King Boron is planning on using flecks."

Valdimore's eyes widened with fear.

"Oh, no...No, no, no, this isn't good."

"What? What is it?"

"Do you know what flecks can do to an owl?"

"I'm not entirely sure...I may have heard someone mention it before, but it's a little fuzzy..."

"They can warp your mind! They can shut down your natural navigation systems! They have the ability to do all sorts of horrible things to any owl! And St. Aggies and Ambala have loads of them hidden away! If the Guardians of Ga'Hoole get their talons on them, they could destroy us all without any effort!"

"...Oh."

"You're either going to have to ask Allomere tomorrow when he has the time for the full story or head down to the Roots no matter what. We have to unravel the full extent of their plan!"

"I understand. The parliament meetings usually begin after Breaklight, and a few of the owls start heading in for the day at that time, so that's convenient for me considering that there are less eyes on the place, lowering my chance of being caught."

"Yes, that's good. I can't stay here long. The guards are on their way, and if I'm caught then both of us are going down. Good luck, young Ginger. I will alert the Monarchs so that the Tytonic Union can prepare for the worst."

Valdimore flew out of the tree and towards the open waters, but one of the approaching guards managed to catch a glimpse of him in the distance.

"Hey, soldiers!" he alerted his two companions. "What's that flying away out there?"

Ginger's heart raced. If Valdimore was caught snooping around the Great Tree, it would be the end of the mission for both of them.

"I'm not sure...It's too far away to tell. Probably just a crow or something, though, but even if it decides to bring the rest of its mob, it's not like we can't fight them off easily, those stupid birds.

"You guys ever wonder what crow meat tastes like?" the last of the guards asked. "I wonder what they'd taste like grilled and smothered in Cook's Secret Sauce?"

"I don't imagine they'd taste very good, even with that sauce. Most crows don't carry a lot of meat. Besides...Don't you guys ever wonder where in the name of Glaux they've been? I hear that they occasionally feast on animal carcasses that even the buzzards don't care to eat, they went so rotten. Nasty, nasty birds, aren't they?"

"Oh, yeah, well, then, never mind about eating them."

"All this talk about eating stuff is making me hungry. What do you guys say we split a fish and head in?"

"Sounds good to me. Everything looks perfectly sound here."

That was the last Ginger heard from those owls. Her knees having become weak with fear, she sighed heavily with relief of not having her cover blown. Her tension slowly lessening, she climbed into her nest, fluffed her feathers out to help calm herself, tucked her head into her starboard wing, then tried to fall asleep, but her high heartrate was interfering, making it take quite a bit longer than average before she was relaxed enough to rest with ease.


	9. Chapter 8: The Plan is Uncovered

When the moon rose in the darkening sky the following evening, Ginger set off to the Dining Hollow, continually telling herself the entire way there to not let anything slip. She had been quite shaken the other day, and she felt that there was now a greater chance of her saying something she shouldn't. Despite her excessive worrying, she managed to get through Tweener without spilling the beans on her operation easily.

 _It must just be my nerves._ she said to herself as she left the Dining Hollow for Allomere's Chaw practice. _I'm just worrying about the flecks. Yes, that's definitely it. Valdimore sure made them sound scary. I'm certain I wouldn't want to go anywhere near them. Which reminds me that it is essential to visit the Roots tonight when the Parliament's meeting begins. Don't forget, Ginger. Don't forget!_

Despite knowing that she was only afraid of the flecks, she spoke not a word the entire night out of fear that she would say something involving the Pure Ones in any matter or form. Allomere didn't act much differently during Chaw practice than he had the other night, but at the end when he left, he gave Ginger a quick wink, ensuring that he was only acting in order to secure their cover. Ginger also successfully made it through Night Flight, and also through Tweener. But once she saw King Boron leave his table for the Parliament hollow, she knew that now was the time to head down to the Roots. Once he exited the hollow, Ginger slowly and silently followed after him.  
The Snowy Owl flew close to the bottom of the hollow, where he entered a particularly large hollow. Hearing voices of other owls about the Great Grey's age inside, Ginger knew that this must be the Parliament hollow.

Now, to find the Roots.

The Barn Owl looked around the Parliament hollow opening for an entrance to the secret space. Sure enough, she found a small crawl space at the Tree's bottom among the tangled tree roots. Entering the space slowly as not to make any noise, she climbed inside. It was a tight squeeze, considering that the thin roots seemed to form webs that were almost too tightly knotted for her to pass through, but Ginger knew that overcoming this obstacle was mandatory if she wanted to listen in on the Parliament.

Alright, this is ridiculous. she said to herself as she found her wings stuck in the stringy roots. Beginning to lose patience, she slashed the branches apart with solid thwacks from her black claws, only to hear a startling comment from above.

"What was that noise?" she heard Boron ask himself. "...Hm...Probably nothing."

Ginger sighed with relief, then tilted her ear towards the ceiling of the crawl space.

"I'm still concerned about Valdimore, in all honesty, your Majesty," the Tracking Chaw Leader, Dewlap, began. "I heard from the day guards just before I came here that they saw a large bird leaving our beloved tree as they were finishing their daily flight around the tree, which raised my suspicions. You don't think he could be back, do you?"

"That's impossible, Dewlap," the blacksmith Bubo responded. "He died in the Thousand Owls Ambush. Boron killed him, remember?"

 _What?_ Ginger was confused. Valdimore was alive and well.

 _Boron killed him, they said...Either he thought it was Valdimore when it wasn't or he just told them that in order to make himself look good._

"Order, owls, order in the Parliament!" Boron boomed in a serious tone. "Forget Valdimore; he went to Hagsmire two years ago. Now, I assume that you, Allomere, know what your Search-and-Rescue team is scheduled to do on the night of the coming full moon in two days, am I right?"

"Yes: We are to begin the fight with an ambush on the eastern side of the Pure ones' Main Base as to create a diversion, then the fleck carriers will head in with the imported fleck bags, drop them all inside and around the tower, then make their escape. The flecks are to impair the enemy owls' gizzards, then we send in the hireclaws from Shadow Forest to finish them off."

"Excellent..." There was a sneer embedded within Boron's oozy response. "Bubo, you remember what to do with the flecks once we obtain a bunch?"

"When my Chaw arrives with a load, I put on the Mu Metal mask to protect me from the harmful effects of the magnetic properties of the flecks, then stuff the load into one of the five gallon burlap bags the Ga'Hoolology Chaw made for the mission. I will obtain five loads over the next two days to fill the sacks with."

"Perfect. Now, Valdimore's scroom is most likely not going to be paying us any visits, but just in case another potential Pure One spy comes over at any time to check on us, we're going to triple our security and seal shut that crawl space the leads to the Roots. You know how the Band used to listen in on our meetings when they first came here, and although it was just because of their curiosity, I wouldn't want word of the Roots getting to the Beaks. Understood?"

"Yes, your majesty," the entire Parliament said at once."

"Bubo, seal off the Roots with an iron cover at First Black tomorrow. No owl is ever going in there again."

"Absolutely, your majesty."

"Barran, my love, you are, I am assuming, prepared to lead the hireclaws to Metal Beak's hideaway in two days, right?"

"I have explained the whole plan to them. The strategy should work."

"Yes...If Metal Beak is taken down, the Pure Ones will be much more easily taken out, considering that they have no leader from which to receive instructions."

"It is an excellent plan you devised, dear."

"Parliament is adjourned."

Boron slammed his smooth stone on his small slab as to dismiss the Chaw Leaders. Hearing all of them flying out of the hollow, Ginger immediately scrambled outside and zoomed back to her hollow at top speed, hoping to remain undetected. Once she stepped inside, she panted with both exhaustion and fear. The minute she had heard that they were going to close off the Roots, she had struggled to escape the small space with fear that she would be trapped on the inside. Without any food or water, Ginger would perish inside within only a matter of days. Fortunately they didn't, and they weren't going to until later that night. Once she was calm enough to think straight, she pieced together what she had heard in her head...and what she made out of it was gizzard-chilling.

 _They're plan is to unload massive amounts of flecks all over the Main Base, then kill the whole lot of us while we are impaired! And not only the troops, but they plan to eliminate Metal Beak as well! This is huge! This is bad! I need to alert Valdimore as soon as possible!_

Ginger didn't bother sleeping. She stood straight up and stared wide-eyed outside towards the ocean, waiting for the arrival of the Eagle Owl.

* * *

...

* * *

Valdimore didn't show up until high noon, and Ginger, still wide-eyed, was fatigued due to lack of sleep, which sparked Valdimore's concern.

"Ginger, do you feel alright? You look like you've seen a hagsfiend."

"I'M FINE!" she unintentionally squawked at an uncomfortably high volume, confused from being tired. She heard owls begin to stir above, and she kept absolutely silent until the light noise from the other hollows ceased.

"I visited the Roots tonight, Valdimore," Ginger whispered, so quietly that he could barely make out what she was saying. "King Boron's plan is to dump flecks all over our Base, then kill every Pure One inside."

"Oh, good Glaux..."

"And they're especially after the High Tyto."

"This is bad...I will alert the Monarchs immediately upon my arrival at the Beaks tonight. Did they say when exactly the event is to take place?"

"In just two days; the night of the next full moon."

"The night of the full moon...even more suspicious."

"Why is that?"

"Do you know what the full moon can do to an owl?"

"It can't be much worse than flecks, I assume."

"No, no. There's moonblinking.."

"Moonblinking?"

"If an owl is exposed to the rays of the full moon for a long period of time, they become...blank. They lose their personalities entirely and become perfectly obedient as though they were robots. The Tytonic Union once used the horrible method to make themselves slaves from innocent owlets. Nowadays, moonblinking is used only for dangerous criminals of prisoners of war. And if exposure to the full moon is constant, its results can become permanent."

Ginger shuddered.

"They say, however, that if an owl is to become...um...'unmoonblinked,' I guess, they often acquire odd abilities after snapping back into their true selves. Despite the potential positive effects in the long run, would one really want to sacrifice their personality for something like that?"

The Barn Owl shook her head no.

"They may not have said much about this ordeal, but there is a chance that they also plan on stealing owlets from St. Aggies and moonblinking them so that they may increase their numbers. The effects are strongest in owlets, but that's not to say that adult owls can have such done to them just as easily."

"This is incredibly bad, Valdimore. What are we gonna do?"

"I will alert the Pure Ones on the Guardians' plan, then if you are to be given any specific tasks by either His or Her Pureness, either me or another Pure One will return and tell you so depending on who's open. There is a big chance I will be called in to assist the rest of the Union with preparation for the attack."

"Perfect. But you should probably get out of here now. They also said that they were going to triple the security around here and seal off the Roots."

"Oh, well, then, good-bye."

Valdimore turned away to take off, but it was then that the guards approached.

"Oh, racdrops, they're back, they're coming this way!"

Ginger was frantic with fear, but then thought up a possible solution. in a split second.

"In here!" she exclaimed as she pulled the Eagle Owl inside her hollow and shoved him up towards the ceiling, where he pushed with his wings and talons on all of the walls to stick there. The guards, having noticed the fishy incident, flew over to Ginger's hollow. to find the young owl standing there, wide awake.

"Ginger? You're up?" one of them said, baffled as to why she wasn't sound asleep. "Why are you awake at this hour?"

"Oh, I just got hungry, so I went and found myself a ground squirrel." She thought up the excuse instantly.

"Um...Okaaaay...You sure about that?"

"I'm absolutely sure!"

"Hmmmmmmm...If you say so..."

"Come on, boys," one of the other ones told them. "We have a tree to guard, so let's not dilly-dally."

Saying this, the trio flew away. Ginger sighed with relief the minute she could no longer hear them. Valdimore, who had sunk his claws into the wood of the hollow, pulled them out and landed softly on the floor.

"Oh, Ginger, you're a life saver!" he rasped. "How can I ever repay you?"

"You don't need to worry about that, right now," she told him. "Just hurry up and leave before we get in trouble!"

"Yes, young'un, I'm off!"

Valdimore shot out towards the sea without any further hesitation. Once he was gone, Ginger settled back down into her nest.

 _What a day. So much tension, lots of danger...I'll be happy when this mission is finally over and I can get out of this Hag-hole!_ she said to herself as she began to slumber.

 _Just remember, Ginger...no...slipups...Just sleep for now...Regain your energy...yeah..._


	10. Chapter 9: Suspicions on the Rise

When Ginger awoke the following evening and entered the dining hollow, she happened to notice that a few of the older owls, mainly the Chaw Leaders, were staring at her as she flew in. She didn't know what to make of it, so she asked, though hesitantly.

"Um...is...something wrong?"

"There is, actually, young Ginger."

The stern voice came from the back of the dining hollow, where from Boron stepped out and in front of the Barn Owl.

"Yesterday, I got a report from the guards that you were out and about smack in the middle of the day. You told them you were grabbing a ground squirrel from outside for a snack, yet according to the report, you had only entered seconds before they asked you, and there were no signs of blood from the animal nor was there any blood on your beak. Plus, they also said, that the owl who flew into your hollow looked remarkably bigger than you. Care to explain?"

Ginger was speechless, but she knew she had to think up an excuse, and fast.

"I...I just ate the ground squirrel on the beach, then washed my face, that's all!"

"In the salt water? You do know what that does to one's feathers, right?"

"No."

"Really, now? If I recall correctly, you came out of the ocean sopping wet when you first came here. Did they not dry out from the salt?"

"No."

"...Hm...Well, do you have a reason for looking much bigger than you are to the patrolling owls?"

"I have no idea why I would look bigger to them. Perhaps it was only their imagination. Imagination is always a possibility, my father always told me."

"Right, well...We had a meeting last night in the Parliament hollow about expanding our security around here, and the guards found your wandering about a bit suspicious."

"Must have been a coincidence." Ginger looked fine on the outside, but her gizzard was tying up in knots.

"Well...If you say so...Have a nice Tweener, Ginger."

The Snowy Owl slinked back to his table with his mate, still wearing a suspicious scowl on his face. Ginger sighed with relief once the talk was over and searched for her own place to dine, finding an empty table for one after a few moments and seating herself there, where one of the Matrons soon served her a plate of broiled ground squirrel, barbequed bat wings and a fresh-from-the-furnace milkberry tart, which she ate without hesitation.

 _These owls may be the enemy, but one thing's for sure, they know how to prepare good food._

* * *

...

* * *

Chaw practice with Allomere was cut short, as he stated that he had important things to take care of with the adult members of the Search-and-Rescue Chaw. After he dismissed his students, he called Ginger back to his platform.

"I assume you visited the Roots last night, young'un," he said to her. "I had a feeling you were down there when I heard your talons cutting through them."

"Did anybody else hear?"

"Boron wondered what it was for a moment before the meeting began, but he didn't really make much of it."

"That's a relief. I, um...I also heard that you were going to be a part of the attack on the Beaks. Does that require you to alter your plans?"

"Actually, it helps. You see, young Ginger, my Chaw has become quite dependent on me when we go into battle, and without me, they can't really funtion as a group. My plan is to have one of the Pure One Elites pretend to kill me when we get close enough to the Main Base, then after I am out of sight, I join the Tytonic defenses unknowingly to the Guardians of Ga'Hoole."

"That's an impressive plan you thought up."

"Thank you. I also happened to overhear Boron questioning you on being out and about in the middle of the day when you were supposed to be asleep. Why exactly did you do that? Didn't you think it would arouse their suspicions?"

"Well, actually, I never left the hollow. When Valdimore stopped by for his daily info pickup, he was spotted by a few of the guards, and I pulled him into my hollow and hid him before they could realize it was him. And speaking of Valdimore...Why did Boron tell the Parliament that he killed him?"

"Ah, that is a scheming lie, Ginger. He made the feat up in order to not only impress the owls of the Tree, but to make us gain trust in him. It mostly worked, but I knew that Valdimore was still alive. I saw him retreat when I was still on the Guardians' side, which is when I began to have my doubts in the wretched old Snowy Owl. Anyway, forget me criticizing you on being up. You did well hiding our old spy. Although I do have one question: Where exactly did you hide him? Unless you're an owlet, there aren't many places inside your average hollow to conceal yourself."

"I just shoved him up towards the ceiling and hoped he would stick there."

"Wow. Quite a risk you took, but it was worth it. Just be careful, you don't know when those pesky guard owls could come around the corner. They could show up when you least expect it."

"I see that, yes...The life of a spy is difficult, no?"

"It is...Well, I better not keep you anymore, my Chaw will begin to stir."

"I guess be off then, before you're spotted discussing this stuff with me!"

Allomere flew off to meet his Chaw almost before Ginger finished her sentence.


	11. Chapter 10: A Message from the King

During Night Flight, Parzival, the Spotted Owl she had Chaw practice with, glided among the air currents with the Barn Owl and showed her how to properly ride them in order to gain momentum in flight. During the session, he decided to start a bit of small-talk.

"So, Ginger, did you ever visit Allomere's hollow?"

"Well, no," she fibbed. "I...I kind of chickened out when I was about to go in."

"You what-ed out?"

"Have you never heard of chickens?"

"Absol-utely not. What are they?"

"You know, little flightless fowl with combs and waddles that make a clucking sound."

"Kind of like a quail?"

"I suppose, but they're quite dimwitted, and they can lay eggs like crazy."

"What, you mean like a lot of them?"

"Exactly. I'm surprised you've never heard of them. Do any live around here anywhere?"

"I don't think so, considering I've never heard of them."

"Well, they're also quite cowardly, so one may often say that one is a chicken or chickens out, it's used like that."

"I see. Which Kingdom do they live in?"

"I...I don't know myself, but I've heard they can adapt to many environments."

"Ah. So, you never asked him anything?"

"No, Parzival."

"Yeah, it was probably best that you didn't. When Allomere gets mad, he sometimes goes and gives flint mops to us when we didn't even do anything."

"Wow. I guess it's best not to provoke him, huh?"

"Indeed."

They continued riding the air currents for a few more minutes, then retired to the dining hollow for Breaklight.

* * *

...

* * *

Ginger's Breaklight was found to be surprisingly unappetizing this morning. All she found on her plate was a dead vole that hadn't even been cooked, and she could tell by the dried blood all over it that it wasn't even fresh. In fact, the faint, but sickening smell coming from it indicated that it was beginning to rot, much to Ginger's disgust. Not wanting to eat it, Ginger carried it down to the ground and buried it near the Great Tree's base before flying off to find a living vole to make her meal. Once she found one to pick off, she went into a kill spriral and sunk her claws right into it, then she landed on a protruding root to eat it, where she was immediately confronted yet again by Boron.

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" he asked her with the same oozy tone she'd heard him use in the Parliament meeting.

"Just getting Breaklight, sir," she answered shakily. "There was something wrong with the one given to me."

"Is that so?"

"Yes...Is there something wrong with that?"

"Not really, except...It's the greatest insult to the Cook to discard his food without tasting it."

"Are you sure that Cook even touched it? The thing smelled like it was beginning to decompose. Besides, I had no idea that that was insulting him."

"You didn't?" The Snowy Owl's voice grew testy.

"No."

"...Fine, then. Have a nice rest of the day."

The Snowy Owl flew off to the Parliament hollow, much to Ginger's relief.

It looks like they're on to me. I sure hope he doesn't decide to come into my hollow today. she said to herself as she slid the vole down her throat. Once it was in her gizzard, she flew to her hollow. Unlike yesterday, however, she lied down in her nest to rest, but not sleep, before Valdimore came, which seemed like forever to Ginger, who, by the time the Eagle Owl arrived, was tired, but not tired enough to have a fuzzy head. Valdimore simply let himself inside the hollow in order to avoid being seen by the daily guard patrols.

"Ginger, are you awake?" he asked her.

"Yes...What's up?"

He seemed exited. "Oh, you're gonna love this. Here!"

The minute Ginger crawled out of her nest, the Eagle Owl handed her a rolled up piece of paper tied up with a red dyed strip of animal skin.

"What is this?"

"It's a message," Valdimore told her. "From the King!"

"Metal Beak!?"

"YES! I'm trying not to yell, but it's just so thrilling, am I right!?"

"Whoa..."

Not wanting to waste anymore time, Ginger carefully untied the piece of skin, put it to the side, unfurled the paper and read the ink-written message inside.

 _Dearest Trainee Ginger;_

 _I am happy to inform you that me and the rest of the Pure Ones here at the Beaks_  
 _are ready for the upcoming attack on our fortress. We have crafted armor and weapons_  
 _for Allomere's fighters here at home with Mu Metal, the same metal which makes up_  
 _the artificial beak on my helm which, as recent studies show, can protect and owl from_  
 _the harmful effects of the flecks by repelling the magnetism they release._  
 _You are required to begin your journey back to the Beaks as soon as you are completed_  
 _reading this scroll, as I will assign you a place in the battle upon your return. Me and Ablah_  
 _General Nyra are indebted to you, Ginger, for if no owl were to accept the delicate operation_  
 _and check up on the Guardians' plans, we would be oblivious to their horrible scheme, and_  
 _the Tytonic Union should surely fall to the mercy of Ga'Hoole. If all goes well during the_  
 _fight, your reward shall be great. May Glaux bless you for your act of heroism._

 _With all do respect,_

 _King Metal Beak._

Ginger beamed. Finally, she would return home! The Barn Owl rolled up the scroll, placed it in her nest and headed towards the hollow opening.

"Where are you going?"

"Home. I have been called back to assist the Pure Ones in the battle, and you are to return as well. My mission here is complete."

"We might want to wait, Ginger. The guards are coming this way! Wait, they're turning...THEY'RE COMING STRAIGHT FOR THE HOLLOW!"

"Oi! Get back up onto the ceiling!" Ginger whispered as softly as she could as she shoved him back up again, then scurried into her nest and pretended to sleep. When the guards looked inside to check on Ginger, they were easily fooled by her convincing posture; turned on her back in what looked to be an uncomfortable position, wing folded over her stomach, and tongue hanging clean out of her beak.

"Yup. She's out cold. Best go tell King Boron, eh, fellas?"

"I guess so."

So they left, and Ginger rose again, peered outside for any other potential Guardian patrols, then gave Valdimore a signal with her wing indication that the coast was clear before she lifted off into the light of late morning sun along side the Eagle Owl, who would guide her through the harsh weather during the return trip to their homeland.


	12. Chapter 11: Return and Preparation

The Owls of Ga'Hoole rose at dusk to prepare for the attack on the Pure One's Main Base. Tweener in the dining hollow started out as normal, but then Boron looked around the area to find that the young Barn Owl who had come to the Tree just days ago was absent.

"Has anyone seen Ginger?" he asked everyone inside at once.

Nobody responded, but just remained silent and exchanged glances among each other.

"I guess not. I'll go see what she's up to," he announced as he flew off to Ginger's hollow, only to find it empty upon his arrival.

 _She's been acting strangely as of late._ he said to himself. _I wonder-Oh? What's this?_

The Snowy Owl spied a partially rolled-up piece of parchment in Ginger's nest that appeared to have some sort of writing on it.

A scroll. Is this a letter to me telling me of her whereabouts?

He picked it up in his talons, unfurled it a bit more, then began to read it. He only read the first sentence before ripping the scroll to shreds in a raging fit.

"That scheming little PILE OF RACDROPS SPRINKING YEEPISH WET POOPER! GLAUX BLOOD ON HER GIZZARD!"

The otherwise sophisticated king of Ga'Hoole began uttering the worst curses an owl could lay upon another at the top of his lungs the moment he pieced together that Ginger was a Pure One and had most likely informed the rest of her kin on their plans to destroy the Tytonic Union. After blowing out every ounce of anger in him by tearing apart everything inside the hollow, including her nest, he shot back to the dining hollow with the news of Ginger's slipgizzling.

"WE'VE BEEN INFILTRATED!" he screamed. "Grab your gear! Bubo, sharpen the battleclaws! We're executing the mission to the Beaks EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY!"

"Why, sir? What's the-"

"DON'T QUESTION ME OR I'LL HAVE YOU **GUILLOTINED WITH YOUR OWN BLADES**!"

"Y-yes, sir! Right away, your majesty!" the terrified Great Horned Owl stammered as he scurried out of the dining hollow to his forge.

"Take action, soldiers! Allomere! Grab all of the owls in your Chaw, even the trainees! We'll need all the owls we can get!"

"Yes sir!" He tried to sound as convincing as possible.

"Take my place of finishing off Metal Beak! I may have wanted to kill him myself originally, but...I HAVE A NEW TARGET TO TAKE DOWN..."

* * *

...

* * *

"Your Pureness!" a Pure One lieutenant shouted to the Monarchs, who were perched on the top of the Main Bases peak. "I see Ginger and Valdimore coming this way on the horizon!"

Kludd and the other trainees overheard the announcement.

"She-she's alright...SHE'S BACK!" the copper Barn Owl shreed. "She did it! She saved the Beaks!"

By now, the two spies were approaching the crop of the peak and making ready to land, which they did in a very orderly fashion. The minute their talons touched the ground, they were warmly welcomed by hundreds of soldiers in black iron helms with shining specs bedded in them.

"Welcome back!"

"How'd the mission go?"

"You sly dogs! Sure did a good job of fooling them out there!"

these were only a few of the greetings Ginger and Valdimore received.

"Alright, settle down, soldiers," Nyra told the swarm of owls around the heroes, which then scattered.

"Ginger, Valdimore...It's time. You've both greatly exceeded our expectations in your feat, and the both of you shall be repaid for your valiance."

They gazed at Nyra, joy in their eyes.

"However, not is not the time to celebrate," Metal Beak added as he slumped to Nyra's side. "The Guardians are most likely on their way here as we speak, and we have defenses to set up, am I right?"

"Yes, your Pureness!" Valdimore said as he raised his port foot as a Tytonic salute.

"Ginger, you are to be a part of the attack squadron."

"Me?"

"We could probably make something good out of that lead-away strategy you made when you were battling the crows in the last Trainee outing."

"Hm...Perhaps I'll see what I can do with it on the battlefield."

"Go grab your helm and battleclaws, Ginger," Metal Beak ordered. "You may not know it, but save for the aluminum alloy spikes on the front, it is made entirely out of mu metal, so should the Guardians send any fleck carriers your way, you should have no trouble with them."

"Ai ai, sir."

"Valdimore, try to take out one of the bigger owls so you can done their mask to blend in, then when they least expect it, launch an attack."

"Affirmative, your Pureness!"

"Go, soldiers! There isn't a moment to waste!"

The two owls parted. When Ginger got to her hollow to grab her gear, she looked around at the comfortingly familiar space.

 _Ah, my old hollow, how I've missed you...But I better not worry about you now. I have a Union to save!_

The Barn Owl snatched the helmet and battleclaws off of the pegs on her wall, then put the helm over her face, slipped her talons into her mu battleclaws, pulled the strings on each of them and snapped them shut. She was ready for what could turn out to be be one of the most dangerous fights of her life. Once she stepped back outside, she saw her fellow trainees standing right by the entrance, fully armed just like her.

"We're ready for any order you give us, ma'am!" Vaygar told her.

"Wow. You guys sure are reliable."

"We wouldn't defy you for the world," Kludd assured her.

"That's comforting. Now...Let's get ready to kick some tail."


	13. Chapter 12: AMBUSH!

"How are things on the horizon, Stryker?" Metal Beak asked his top commander, who was keeping a sharp eye on the battlefield below.

"So far, we're clear, but expect the enemy at any moment. All sides of the Main Base are being guarded and protected with our best fighters. Ginger and the trainee Pure Ones are keeping watch in the northeast section of the area, the predicted direction from which the Guardians should come in. I certainly hope that diversion strategy Ginger devised should be no problem executing. Oh, and the Elites backing them up are heavily armed with jagged battleclaws and burning branches, so they'll probably be fine. I've also got some of my best students preparing for a surprise ambush upon their arrival, so I think we're all set to-Wait-Unidentified birds coming in from the far east! Great Glaux, it's Boron and the entirety of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole! The whole lot of them!? This is bigger that I thought! Sound the alarm! SOUND THE ALARM!"

Metal Beak and Nyra let out a synchronized, earsplitting screech that could be heard for quite a distance.

"That's the signal!" Ginger alerted the owls behind her. "Man your positions and stay hidden until Allomere is separated from his Chaw!"

The Trainee Force and the Elites did as told and concealed themselves among numerous crevasses in the small rock spires surrounding their fortress just as Boron and his troops were drawing near enough to potentially hear them.

"Anything coming up from behind, Allomere?" the Snowy Owl questioned.

"Nothing yet, your majesty."

"Good. You branch off towards the Main Base in search of the High Tyto, I'll tend to the fleck dumping."

"Affirmative. Come on boys."

Allomere and his Guardian Chaw split off of the rest of Boron's immense fleet towards the giant rock spire the Pure Ones had planted there roots in so long ago.

"See anything, Allomere?"

"Not yet...But I can imagine that any Pure One could be hiding anywhere around here," the Great Grey alerted his soldiers as they passed through a small pit, the walls of which were covered in black stone spikes.

"That's our cue!" Uglamore, a Pure One lieutenant, told a portion of the other hiding owls with him. "Bring Allomere on in!"

Two of his best owls shot up towards Allomere like living bolts of lightning and carried him out of sight within the blink of an eye, much to the surprise and horror of the small group of mature Guardians following the secret Pure One.

"Wha-What just happened!?" one of them screeched.

"Get 'em, boys!"

"Huh?"

The entirety of the Search-and-Rescue Chaw was suddenly surrounded by strong fighting members of the Tytonic Union. Screams pierced the air...then there was nothing. When the group of attacking Pure Ones had finished, they looked down to see all of Allomere's best owls lying down dead, one of them impaled through the stomach on a spike sticking straight up out of the ground.

"Well, I certainly am glad that I got those fools off my back," Allomere remarked as he flew up to meet the Pure Ones that killed off his overly dependent Guardian Chaw. "Looks like the Guardians are going to have to find another Search-and-Rescue Chaw leader, eh, fellas?"

"It does look like it," an emerging Uglamore agreed. "Now, I'm going to see what we can do about the fleck issue."

"Roger that. I'll see what the Trainees and the Elites are doing over to the northeast. They'll need all of the help they can get if they are to fight the rest of Boron's clan."

"Yes. I'm quite surprised that they decided to come in directly from the east rather than more north. The winds in the southeast parts of the Sea of Hoolemere are unusually strong this time of year, so that was a dangerous maneuver they went with. Must have been a tiring flight for them."

"Yes...huh...That may actually be a benefit for our side!"

"Why is that, Lord Allomere?"

"Excess fatigue may very likely lead to their energy for the battle to decline, and we could potentially overpower them that way!"

"Ah, looks like Boron's surprise attack has backfired! We'll take on the flecks, you round up your Pure One Chaw and assist Ginger in the larger battle!"

"Fellow members of the Tytonic Battle Chaw! Emerge! You're leader has returned at long last from Ga'Hoole! Follow me to the northeast so that we may claim victory in the battle to protect our home and Union! Let us fly, soldiers! Let us fly!"

* * *

...

* * *

"I'm not seeing anything from the north," Ginger said to the hiding troops. "You don't think they could have gotten swallowed up in a monsoon on their way here, do you?"

"Oh, I wish," Phillip muttered. "Hey, is that Allomere and his chaw coming in from the south?"

"It is," Vaygar realized. "I wonder what they need?"

"Ginger!" Allomere called out. "There's been a change of plans! The Guardians of Ga'Hoole are coming for us from a different direction then the one predicted! They are coming in from the east! Remain concealed and wait for Boron's arrival! Everybody with mu embroidered helms, assist Uglamore by the Main Base peak with handling the flecks they plan on scattering! The rest of us will see if we can take down King Boron before any other soldiers get too close! We may outnumber them by a thousand, but we will need to execute all plans with utmost precision and caution! Understood?"

"Understood!" was the response he got from all of the owls.

"Now let's go win this battle!"

The thirty or so owls that had been given the command followed the Great Grey to the east, where they saw the rest of the Guardians coming in.

"Uglamore and his troops are taking care of the fleck situation with other mu helmed owls," Allomere whispered as they waited for the enemy's arrival inside numerous other crevasses in the eastern portion of the area. "Elites, aim for the King, everybody else, aim for...well...everybody else."

 _I'll be sure to use that I put that Follow Me strategy to good use._ Ginger said to herself.

"Here they come! Fryke!"

The moment Allomere gave the Hoolian military term for "conceal and freeze," the fleck carriers passed them. Far behind followed the rest of the Ga'Hoolian warriors.

"Wait for my signal." Allomere whispered as they grew closer. "Three...two...one... ... **AMBUSH!** "

The command seemed to make the Guardians freeze in place as the Pure Ones flew upwards toward them with extended claws.

"It's an ambush!" Boron yelled. "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

The battlefield was suddenly ablaze with flying feathers, flames and blood. Ginger bolted past the opposing owls one by one, dodging every attacker that came her way. She was in search of the King, who was a crafty fighter, and she knew that the Elites could use all the help they could get in defeating him. Then she spotted him; the evil Snowy Owl, who was fending off two other Pure Ones. Right when she was about to head in and assist them, she caught sight of another Barn Owl above that was diving right towards her. It was Soren, the young leader of the notorious Band of the Ga'Hoole Tree, and the next thing Ginger knew, she was in close combat with him.

"You little sneak!" he insulted as he tried to pin her against one of the rock spires in the field, his razor sharp battleclaws extended. "You're not going to get away with this! I'm going to tear you limb from limb!"

"Not if I have anything to say and/or do about it!"

"What?"

Someone came out of nowhere and headbutted Soren right in the side with a hard smash from his mu metal helmet, the horns on which dug deep into his flesh. The headbutt was followed by a slash, and Soren began to plummet, blood flying out of the holes the horns had penetrated in his body.

"Mayday! Mayday! I'm going down! I'm going-"

The screaming stopped once the Barn Owl hit the ground, unconscious, but unfortunately not yet dead. The helmed owl turned to Ginger and removed the bloodied helmet, revealing his face.

"Kludd?"

"Bet you're glad I showed up when I did, eh, Ging'?"

He looked down at where Soren had crashed.

"YOU STAY AWAY FROM US, YOU GOOD-FOR-NOTHING PILE OF RACDROPS!" he yelled angrily.

"Wow. You must know him pretty well to talk like that toward him."

"Unfortunately. I'm cursed to call that owl my brother."

"Soren's your BROTHER!?"

"Like I said; it's been a curse since the day he came into existence from inside his eggshell."

"I hope that's not what Felix ends up turning into."

"GINGER, BEHIND YOU!"

She turned around just in time to grab another member of the Band, an Elf Owl named Gylfie who was coming to the Barn Owl's aid, and perform a powerful spin throw, which sent the tiny owl hurdling towards another wave of Guardians headed their way. They were scattered in all different directions once hit.

"Nice shot, Ginger."

"Many thanks. Now, let's see about Boron."

"Actually, right before I came to get Soren off your back, I had alerted some more of the Elites to Boron's position, and I think we're all clear of him for a while. If there's anything I think we should be worried about, it's the fleck carriers."

Right then, three groups of Pure Ones passed them carrying the gizzard-damaging pieces of metal in the same bags they'd been collected in.

"No need to worry about these anymore," one of them said, his voice muffled by his uniform helmet. "We're going to make sure these are burned promptly so they can't do anymore damage around here."

"What good does burning them do?" Ginger questioned. "They're pieces of metal, so even if you burn the stuff, it'll still be there. It doesn't wither away or evaporate like water or plants."

"Ah, the metal will still be there, but somehow, exposing flecks to flames rids them of their magnetic properties, so they can no longer harm a bird's gizzard. In fact, the leftover metal is quite useful for making armor and such. Very hard material, but also lightweight."

Once the carrier owls were gone, Ginger and Kludd looked around. It seemed as though things were beginning to die down on the Guardians' side, as the Pure Ones were obviously beginning to overpower them.

"Oh!" Kludd exclaimed. "Metal Beak!"

"Oh my Glaux, you're right!" Ginger squawked back. "We need to make sure he hasn't been killed!"

"TO THE BASE!"

* * *

...

* * *

The moment the two owls entered the fortress, they were met by a familiar white owl.

"Nyra!" Ginger breathed, relieved that she was still alive and well. "Oh, thank Glaux. We came to check in on you and his Pureness."

"We are in hiding," she told her students. "As long as we stay concealed inside the little secret room you met us in before you left fore the Great Tree, we are almost guaranteed survival, which is imperative for the survival of our Union as well."

"May I ask why exactly you are out here where you could possibly be spotted by someone then?" Kludd questioned.

"I'm just checking to make sure that nobody decided to snoop about and try to find our location. You never know who could be watching. And if anybody does end up coming here, WE'LL MAKE SURE THEY NEVER FLY AGAIN. But for now, hiding is our best option."

"So, King Metal Beak is alright?" Ginger asked.

"He and I are perfectly-"

Nyra's sentence was cut off. There was a flash of white, and the next thing the two trainees knew, King Boron was pinning their Queen to the floor, pushing his enormous foot down on her throat.

"You think you could hide from me..." he drawled. "Well, now I'm going to finish all of you! Get them, my dear!"

Ginger and Kludd were instantly shoved onto the ground by Boron's mate Barran and pinned as well.

"You're not going to get away with this!" Ginger screeched.

"Oh, I already have. Now calm down, owls, and watch as your precious monarchs meet a slow and painful demise."

Them being helplessly pinned was enough for Ginger to bear, but being taunted by this disgusting Snowy Owl made Ginger reach a breaking point. Without thinking, she clamped her sharp beak down on one of Barran's talons.

"Argh! Let go of me, you haggard!"

Ginger could barely hear her over her intense rage that she was trying to contain. She had to let it build inside of her, then release it a just the right moment. She continued to bite the owl's toe until she heard something snap, then...she was free. Looking down at her beak, she found it bloodied.

"Oh, dear Glaux, you're savage!" Barran yelled at her before falling into a dead faint.

 _Holy racdrops,_ Ginger realized. _I just bit off one of her talons!_

Boron was in a state of shock. Never had he seen any owl dare to lay a feather on his mate before, and this Barn Owl had just maimed her foot! Seeing an opening, Ginger let the anger inside of her loose, and she let out a roaring shree as she tackled Boron, throwing him off of Nyra.

"Get off of me, you cursed brat!" the Snowy Owl roared as Ginger sunk her battleclaws into his back. Boron let out an agonized shree as the enraged little owl slashed his sides as well, then, the minute he fell over from the excruciating pain, stood on top of him and pushed his head onto the ground with extreme force for her size.

"What the frink is going on!?" Metal Beak wondered aloud as he emerged from the hidden space to see what all of the commotion was about. The minute he saw Ginger, who had now decided to sit on the panting, bleeding king's head for some reason, his jaw dropped in awe. Within seconds, however, he shoved Ginger off of him with one swipe of his large, white feathered wing, and flew off, a stream of blood falling to the ground from his wounds behind him.

"Guardians, Guardians!" he screeched. "Abort! Abort the mission! Retreat! Owl down! I...need!...to!...get back!...to!...THE TREE! _Ugh_!"

Boron began to plummet, and the Guardians immediately rushed to his aid. Two of the larger owls put him in a large basket and flew off with him, the rest of them following behind them back to the Great Tree. Ginger, still furious, was determined to go after them.

"Why, I'm going to-!"

"Easy there, Ginger," Metal Beak said as he placed his wing in front of her to keep her from flying away and most likely meeting her doom, to which she calmed down.

"I...they're escaping!"

"Yes, I'm aware of that. Let them go for now. You did quite the damage to old Boron, and with injuries like that, it's unknown that he will even survive."

"Are you saying that-"

"Yes. It is likely that you could have just killed our greatest adversary of all time."

"Oh, he'll survive, unfortunately," Nyra sighed upon entering the conversation. "The bad ones always find a way. Ah, well...You were undoubtedly close, young Ginger!"

Ginger stared wide-eyed in the direction which the Guardians were heading. They were nearly out of sight. Then she stared at the spot where Barran had pinned her and Kludd. The severed talon was still there, sitting in a small pool of blood, and Kludd was also standing there, tired from the struggle in both the battle outside, and having been attacked by the Guardian Queen.

"...Whoa..." was all the Barn Owl could say.

"Pure Ones!" the High Tyto called to the soldiers outside. "The battle is won! Join us inside for celebration and recognition of the owl who made our victory possible!"


	14. Chapter 13: Recognition and Reunion

As the rays of the full moon shone down upon the Kingdom of the Beaks, the soldiers alined themselves on each sides of the small path leading from the main entrance of the Main Base to the giant perch which the Monarchs used as a throne. Down that path walked Ginger towards the perch, followed closely behind by Valdimore, and they only stopped when they reached the foot of the giant perch, which had been trimmed with bright green vines. Atop the structure stood the proud Monarchs Nyra and Metal Beak. Both owls swooped down off of their spots and landed directly in front of the owls who had saved their Union.

"My Soldiers," Metal Beak began. "We have gathered here tonight to recognize the noble deeds of fellow Pure Ones Ginger, _Tyto Alba_ , and Valdimore, _Bubo_ _Africanus_. Combining their skills in the spy field, they were successful in penetrating the security of our most feared enemy, the notorious Guardians of Ga'Hoole, where Ginger gathered crucial information concerning their evil plans by fooling them into thinking she was one of them and passing what she'd learned onto Valdimore, who battled the harsh weather among the Sea of Hoolemere back and forth from there to here in the Beaks and back again for days straight, giving us the knowledge required to evade their planned attacks involving the ever dangerous flecks. Had these two owls not accepted the mission and/or prevailed, the Tytonic Union of Pure Ones would have crumbled under the merciless talons of the Ga'Hoolian owls. And for their heroic deeds, we not only salute them, but we reward them for their valiance."

The whole area burst out with cheering and victorious shrees for the two owls.

"Valdimore," the king said to the Eagle Owl, who had his chest feathers puffed out quite a bit. "Your skills as a slipgizzle are, as from what we have seen you accomplish, unsurpassable. I shall give you the honor of starting your owl Spy Chaw!"

"Oh my Glaux, are you serious!?" the Eagle Owl screeched in a tone that made him sound rather immature. Upon realizing his lack of formality, he cleared his throat and put on a much more sophisticated look.

"Why, your Majesty, I'm flattered. I shall willingly and happily accept your offer."

"Heh heh...Something tells me you'll get along quite well with your students."

"I apologize for the outburst, your Pureness. It shan't happen again."

Metal Beak just rolled his eyes in an amused fashion and turned to Ginger.

"You, young Ginger, have exceeded my greatest expectations, and have not only earned my greatest approval, but my utmost respect. You shall from here on out be referred to as a General. General of the Trainee Pure Ones!"

Again there was a joyous uproar from the Pure Ones surrounding them.

"SPEECH! SPEECH! SPEECH! SPEECH! SPEECH! SPEECH!"

"What, me?" the young Barn Owl stuttered once she realized they were awaiting an oration from her.

"Ah, don't worry about it, young'un," the High Tyto told her. "You got this one in the bag."

 _If you say so,_ Ginger said to herself before turning to the crowd, which had grown silent.

"Well," she began, still rather nervous. "I'll be honest, fellow Pure Ones; I never saw this day coming. Being cooped up in a hollow most of your life doesn't really give you a good picture of the outside world without someone telling you about it, so I had no idea what was out here. But I guess I have my brother to thank for this. I mean, if he hadn't driven me to a breaking point, I'd probably still be living near Chatham. If I were still living near Chatham, I wouldn't even know you guys exist, AND IF I DIDN'T KNOW YOU GUYS EXISTED, YOU'D PROBABLY ALL BE DEAD AND-"

Ginger stopped the instant she found that she had grown frantic thinking of what the fate of the Tytonic Union would've turned out to be without her assistance, and she knew she sounded very unprofessional.

"...Anyway...That's not what happened. I was driven out into the outside world and I found you...or...concerning how I got here, it was _you_ that found _me_ , but that's irrelevant right now, cuz' I'm talking about us. I'm talking about our proud organization and what we're capable of. I'm not in the U.S.A. I'm here. And you're all here. And the Guardians have been defeated...well, for now, at least...and most importantly, the Tytonic Union of Pure Ones is still standing and strong! As long as we are united, nothing can take us down!"

The cheers rang louder that Ginger had ever imagined they could. She looked out at the many Pure Ones who had helped in the battle of that night. She looked at the right side of the hall, where Vaygar, Uklah, and Phillip were supporting her along with the rest of the Union. Though she didn't show it, she was ecstatic. Despite her joy and excitement, one question did enter her mind.

 _Where'd Kludd? Didn't he come to see this?_

"GINGER!" a familiar voice shouted from the back of the crowd, out of which ran a maskless Kludd towards her before embracing her in his seemingly huge wings, much to Ginger's shock, and a bit of embarrassment as well.

"Kludd," she groaned, being a might squished by the force of her best fighter's wings. "I can't breathe like this."

"Heh, um..." Kludd's white facial disk turned pink as let go of her. "M-my bad."

"Why so late?"

"I actually was dumb enough to try to go after Soren. I don't know what urged me to do that, though."

"Yeah. So, you wanna go finish that game of Nootie Ball?"

"What?"

"What?"

"Can't hear you Ging'! Crowd's too loud!"

Even over the huge calamity the Pure Ones were making, Metal Beak managed to hear Kludd's complaint.

"Soldiers, you are dismissed!" he called out. All of the helmed soldiers scattered immediately, and Nyra and Metal Beak retreated back to their secret hollow.

"Well, that works!" Kludd remarked. "Now what did you say before, Ginger?"

"I asked if you were up to that second round Nootie Ball we never got to do before I left."

"Oh, I'm totally up for it."

"What about the rest of you?" Ginger asked her other soldiers.

"Let's not stand around and waste time, then!" Vaygar responded as he took to the skies. "Last one to the playing field is a pile o' seagull splat!"

"Hey!" Phillip protested. "You got a head start!"

The rest of the Trainees followed the young Grass and Sooty Owls up out of the Main Base and into the dim, starry air, the thoughts of the ambush that had occurred that night quickly slipping from their minds. Now was not the time for battle. They had a game to start up.


	15. About the Characters

**GINGER** : Barn Owl, _Tyto Alba_ , First born daughter of mates Ethan and Nutmeg, raised in a spruce tree near Chatham, Georgia. Left home at a very young age due to boredom and being constantly annoyed by her brother Felix, found and rescued by members of the Tytonic Union of Pure Ones, now among their ranks.

 **ETHAN** : Barn Owl, _Tyto Alba_ , Ginger and Felix's father, husband of Nutmeg.

 **NUTMEG** : Barn Owl, _Tyto Alba_ , Ginger and Felix's mother, wife of Ethan.

 **FELIX** : Barn Owl, _Tyto Alba_ , Ginger's five-year-old brother, fledgling, constantly annoyed Ginger to the point of her leaving, found and rescued by members of the Tytonic Union, now living at St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls in the St. Aegolius Canyons.

 **JATT** : Long-Eared Owl, _Asio Otus_ , Pure One and St. Aggies patrol, cousin of Jutt.

 **JUTT** : Long-Eared Owl, _Asio Otus_ , Pure One and St. Aggies patrol, cousin of Jatt.

 **NYRA** : Barn Owl, _Tyto Alba_ , Queen of the Tytonic Union of Pure Ones, mate of the High Tyto, commander of the Trainee Owls.

 **METAL BEAK** : Greater Sooty Owl, _Tyto Tenebricosa_ , High Tyto, founder, leader and king of the Tytonic Union of Pure Ones, Nyra's mate.

 **VAYGAR** : African Grass Owl, _Tyto Capensis_ , member of the Trainee Owls, best navigator of the five.

 **PHILLIP** : Greater Sooty Owl, _Tyto Tenebricosa_ , member of the Trainee Owls, best tracker of the five.

 **UKLAH** : Barn Owl, _Tyto Alba_ , member of the Trainee Owls, smartest of the five.

 **KLUDD** : Barn Owl, _Tyto Alba_ , member of the Trainee Owls, best fighter of the five.

 **BORON** : Snowy Owl, _Bubo Scandiacus_ , King of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole, greatest threat to the Tytonic Union.

 **BARRAN** : Snowy Owl, _Bubo Scandiacus_ , Queen of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Boron's mate.

 **SOREN** : Barn Owl, _Tyto Alba_ , leader of the Band, Kludd's younger brother.

 **GYLFIE** : Elf Owl, _Micrathene Whitneyi_ , navigator of the Band, Soren's best friend.

 **DIGGER** : Burrowing Owl, _Speotyto Cunicularious_ , tracker of the Band.

 **TWILIGHT** : Great Grey Owl, _Strix Nebulosa_ , warrior of the Band.

 **ALLOMERE** : Great Grey Owl, _Strix Nebulosa_ , leader of the Search-and-Rescue Chaw at the Great Ga'Hoole Tree, secretly a slipgizzle of the Tytonic Union that leads his Guardian Chaw to their fate.

 **VALDIMORE** : Eurasian Eagle Owl, _Bubo Bubo_ , slipgizzle of the Tytonic Union who helps Ginger leak information from Ga'Hoole to the Pure Ones, now leader of the Slipgizzle Chaw.


	16. Preview Page

Keep your eyes peeled for the next issue!

 _Ginger's Adventures #4: Ginger's Journey to the Amazon_

Ginger seems to have a knack for travelling, and the Tytonic Union needs all of the help it  
can get in order to keep the Guardians of Ga'Hoole at bay. For these two reasons, Nyra and  
Metal Beak have decided to take the ultimate risk: They have decided to send Ginger and  
her soldiers to the outside world to gain foreign knowledge and allies. Since Ginger fears being  
discovered by her family if she is sent to the United States, they instead give orders for them  
to explore the Amazon Rainforest to search for strong birds said to live there. While there,  
the Trainee Pure Ones do meet some very strong birds indeed, but not all of them are  
friendly. Will the Trainee Force be able to bring their new friends, the Red Macaw Clan, to  
discontinue their constant wars with the Spix Macaw Clan? And will they be able to fend off  
the loggers threatening to disrupt their ways of life?


End file.
